I'm so sick of these "not my fault" PGA Pros

[SEP1006]

Seriously, almost every time they miss a putt the first thing they do is tap down a "supposedly" spike mark. That in the rules of golf allows you to fix them BEFORE you putt.

 

Another thing is they point their arms either left or right in disgust if they don't break. Rahm is probably the worst one with this.

 

Now don't get me wrong, they all don't do this but A LOT OF THEM DO. It's just NEVER their fault, cry babies!!

[tmw4h5]

It's something common in sports now. If you miss a shot in basketball, you look for the ref to blow the whistle. Every single time a WR doesn't make a catch in the NFL, they immediately jump up and look for a flag or signal for one. 

I think that more than anything it's an attempt to deflect fault from yourself because you're embarrassed that you made a mistake and you are a "professional" at that sport. 

[Dutch1008]

I think you're describing a general golfer condition, not something exclusive to pros. Can't remember the last time I played around and didn't hear...

 

"How'd that putt not go left!"

 

"That bunker had no sand!"

 

Excuse making is so prevalent in golf that Carl's Golfland built an advertising campaign around it.  

[ALIF]

47 minutes ago, SEP1006 said:

Seriously, almost every time they miss a putt the first thing they do is tap down a "supposedly" spike mark. That in the rules of golf allows you to fix them BEFORE you putt.

 

Another thing is they point their arms either left or right in disgust if they don't break. Rahm is probably the worst one with this.

 

Now don't get me wrong, they all don't do this but A LOT OF THEM DO. It's just NEVER their fault, cry babies!!

Rahm is the worst at this. I agree!!!!!!!!

[GungHoGolf]

27 minutes ago, ALIF said:

Rahm is the worst at this. I agree!!!!!!!!

Hatton gives him 2 a side in excuse-making.

[leezer99]

1 hour ago, SEP1006 said:

Seriously, almost every time they miss a putt the first thing they do is tap down a "supposedly" spike mark. That in the rules of golf allows you to fix them BEFORE you putt.

 

Another thing is they point their arms either left or right in disgust if they don't break. Rahm is probably the worst one with this.

 

Now don't get me wrong, they all don't do this but A LOT OF THEM DO. It's just NEVER their fault, cry babies!!

 

This is actually very common amongst high level athletes. Confidence comes from self belief so the ability to blame a circumstance or situation actually helps them play better. 

 

In golf it's like the old adage. If the ball goes short or long, it's the caddie's fault. If it goes left or right, it's the coach's fault. 

[subrew]

It mostly bugs me from a pace of play perspective.  You missed the putt.  Go tap it in, or mark it.  Do something.  Don't just stand there over your putter gesturing it should have gone left.  Or sulking over your putter as you've missed another 6' (looking at you Scottie.)  

[Chunkitgood]

People who do something really well are actually surprised and puzzled and look for an explanation when things don’t go as expected.

[Fairways_and_Greens]

I tried finding it, but cannot... I read this old psychological study involving college athletes. They had them take psychological evaluations, and then waited to see if they would make it to professional sports... The ones that lied to themselves were way more likely to make it to the pro level. Super interesting.

[GrandStranded]

2 hours ago, Dutch1008 said:

I think you're describing a general golfer condition, not something exclusive to pros. Can't remember the last time I played around and didn't hear...

 

"How'd that putt not go left!"

 

"That bunker had no sand!"

 

Excuse making is so prevalent in golf that Carl's Golfland built an advertising campaign around it.  

End thread.

[PedronNiall]

I've heard many pros mention that they're dialing something in, working on something, making a change, and so on, but I've never heard any of them with standout careers ever blame themselves when something goes wrong. Short memories and the power of deflection don't just work well in politics. 

[stephenmatt]

This happens in just about every single sport. Some athletes are worse than others.

[unskinnybop99]

There's a book called "Don't sweat the small stuff". Good read.............just saying

[Hawkeye77]

5 hours ago, SEP1006 said:

Seriously, almost every time they miss a putt the first thing they do is tap down a "supposedly" spike mark. That in the rules of golf allows you to fix them BEFORE you putt.

 

Another thing is they point their arms either left or right in disgust if they don't break. Rahm is probably the worst one with this.

 

Now don't get me wrong, they all don't do this but A LOT OF THEM DO. It's just NEVER their fault, cry babies!!

So kind of like it’s not your fault their personal reactions trigger you?

 

Part of putting the bad result to the side and moving on.  

[Nickb333]

3 hours ago, Fairways_and_Greens said:

I tried finding it, but cannot... I read this old psychological study involving college athletes. They had them take psychological evaluations, and then waited to see if they would make it to professional sports... The ones that lied to themselves were way more likely to make it to the pro level. Super interesting.

^ this is on the right track. Not sure it’s all about lying to yourself, but it sure as heck is about moving on. You can’t carry mistakes on your back during competition. Look at the film and learn from it for next time. During a match/contest/game isn’t the dwell on your last f up. Much better to deny/erase it and go get the next one. 

[GatorNate11]

I saw Chris DiMarco years back hit one off the planet and tell himself he sucked in the middle of the fairway. Most I’ve ever related to a professional athlete in my life. 

[bobfoster]

Actually, don't think this has much to do with golf. Or, more specifically, it is a sort of distinct personality trait that some percentage of the entire population has, in every field and profession, in professional or private life. 

 

It does exist in golf, and also (as several have pointed out) happens in other professional sports as well. But it really exists universally. Almost everyone that works in an office knows who the "it wasn't my fault, it was outside circumstances beyond my control" guy is.

 

This is just how these people are. 

 

 

[iBanesto]

Steve Elkington told 2 stories about Jack Nicklaus not blaming himself.

1. Jack topped a 3 wood and blamed a poa annua seed in front of his ball exploding.
2. Jack missed the cut at the Players by a mile and blamed it on not getting his usual hotel room and the bed wasn't right.

[hammersia]

1 hour ago, iBanesto said:

Steve Elkington told 2 stories about Jack Nicklaus not blaming himself.

1. Jack topped a 3 wood and blamed a poa annua seed in front of his ball exploding.
2. Jack missed the cut at the Players by a mile and blamed it on not getting his usual hotel room and the bed wasn't right.

Greg Norman supposedly blamed a topped drive on an earthworm sticking it's head out as he was about to hit the ball.

[03trdblack]

9 hours ago, stephenmatt said:

This happens in just about every single sport. Some athletes are worse than others.

 

I'm looking at you Soccer! Unwatchable with the acting those players do. 

[Greenie]

I don't think it is sports related. It is how certain people are. I've made this statement quite often. Some people can't accept responsibility for their mistakes.They have to blame their mistakes on somebody else or something else. It couldn't be their fault.

 

I agree with what someone else has said in this thread. Referring to golf.  It bugs me from a pace of play perspective. You just hit a bad shot or missed your putt. Move on. Everyone in the group has seen what you did. There is no need for a play by play and to have to hear your reason why you messed up.

 

One of the guys I play with cracks me up when he hits a poor shot. He stands there and stares. Then he has to make several practice swings to diagnose if he made a poor swing. Nope the swing looks good.  Then he checks the head of the club to make sure the head didn't come loose and has twisted on the shaft. He always checks his head. I have asked him if he has had problems with his heads coming loose. He replies no but I am checking to see if that caused my shot to do that because my swing felt good.

[idrive]

Human Nature.

[Titleist99]

8 hours ago, Nickb333 said:

^ this is on the right track. Not sure it’s all about lying to yourself, but it sure as heck is about moving on. You can’t carry mistakes on your back during competition. Look at the film and learn from it for next time. During a match/contest/game isn’t the dwell on your last f up. Much better to deny/erase it and go get the next one. 

100%....and that's something the pros do quite well.

[alittleoverpar]

This happens due to years of growing up getting participation trophies.  There are entire generations that have never believed they ever "lost" a competition.  They carry this belief into their daily lives where they can do not wrong.  You see it in all aspects of life with  younger people now.  It's not just isolated to athletics.

[GowerND11]

6 minutes ago, alittleoverpar said:

This happens due to years of growing up getting participation trophies.  There are entire generations that have never believed they ever "lost" a competition.  They carry this belief into their daily lives where they can do not wrong.  You see it in all aspects of life with  younger people now.  It's not just isolated to athletics.

Oh yeah generalize it...

 

Stories of older golfers just above you doing this stuff, but yeah younger generation. 

 

Just remember who raised all of us. You're more to blame then. 

[alittleoverpar]

1 minute ago, GowerND11 said:

Oh yeah generalize it...

 

Stories of older golfers just above you doing this stuff, but yeah younger generation. 

 

Just remember who raised all of us. You're more to blame then. 

I agree, although I don't have any kids, but generally Baby Boomers were the worst parents.  Just my opinion.

 

[Jayjay_theweim_guy]

16 minutes ago, alittleoverpar said:

This happens due to years of growing up getting participation trophies.  There are entire generations that have never believed they ever "lost" a competition.  They carry this belief into their daily lives where they can do not wrong.  You see it in all aspects of life with  younger people now.  It's not just isolated to athletics.

While we all love a good Zoomer and Alpha beatdown (though without the de rigueur avocado toast mention), how many participation trophies do you think Nicklaus and Norman got growing up?

 

I'm with @bobfoster, not ever being able to admit blame is a prevalent trait in a lot of places beyond golf.  Damned if it doesn't look positively correlated with success in business too.

 

It's infuriating.

[gripandrip]

14 hours ago, GungHoGolf said:

Hatton gives him 2 a side in excuse-making.

Yeah, but Hatton is always entertaining.

[Jayjay_theweim_guy]

13 minutes ago, alittleoverpar said:

I agree, although I don't have any kids, but generally Baby Boomers were the worst parents.  Just my opinion.

 

And if we're going to indulge in some Boomer hate too---and why not, as I look at news that the US national debt grows at the rate 1 trillion USD every 100 days---we really need to ask ourselves who taught them to be such bad parents.

 

Lots of blame to go around, is all I'm saying.  Even for GenX.

[Augie53]

IDK, sometimes it's just a natural reaction and you need an outlet for frustration so that it doesn't build up and carry over into the next shot.  If there was a camera on me playing by myself on a mostly empty golf course with nothing on the line, you would see me gesture and talk to my golf ball if it didn't break like I thought it would.  I sometimes talk to my clubs and tell them "nice shot!" or "WTF was that?", and of course I mumble and talk myself through shots too.  It's not so much blaming your failures on something other than yourself, more so it's a coping mechanism.